J. Crew Review: Town Hall Dress in Peacock Feather.

Hi, everyone! Real quick before I head off to teach the last few days of summer school, I wanted to get this review out there on the same day that JCA has J. Crew reviews.

I bought the Town Hall dress a few weeks ago because it fits my current criteria for buying from J. Crew...must be well-made (or well-made looking), must be versatile enough that I can have it for many years, and it must be distinctive enough to not match something I already own. I have been cutting back on J. Crew shopping, instead choosing to find items on ebay from seasons past. Often the items on ebay follow my criteria far better than what is out there now! (Although a few items from this fall seem to fit the criteria perfectly--bonjour, red Teddie dress!)

Size 6.  This dress runs at least one size large.  I thought the super 120s line would not be affected by the vanity sizing, but nope, it has been bitten by the egos of all American women, who LOVE wearing one size smaller.  LOL.  ;)

If you have small hips, you might be able to buy two sizes smaller, as the material has a lot of give, and I imagine that this size 6 could fit a woman with size D cups easily.  (Criteria filled--well made!)

The hips on this dress were perfect, the fabric and the stretch lining fell nicely over my hips and thighs.

Side view.  Love the ruching above and below the grosgrain trim on the left side of the dress.  Very unusual (criteria filled--distinctive design unlike anything in my closet). 

The length hits right at the knee, which made this a perfect dress for teaching (wore this last week).  In the winter, you can easily pair this with a printed jacket or cute cardi.  (Criteria filled--versatile!)

It wasn't too warm, as the super 120s, while a wool, is very lightweight.  I think the airy construction plus the silky poly lining keep it from being too oppressive in summer.

By the way, the shoes are Nine West and the necklace is from Fall 2010 (my polyvore pic has no description next to the image, sigh)?

Back view.  Love the ruching that extends to the back.

This pic of the necklace shows how nicely it goes with the dress.  The color of the dress is also most accurately depicted here, the other shots the blue looks too blue, the color is more of a teal in real life.

Hope this helps one or two of you on the fence with this dress...I definitely recommend it, even if the only workplace you see is your house with your toddlers.  (I know this is great for dinners out, parties, and for church.)